Women Who Blow on Knots

Winner of a PEN Translates Award A phenomenon in Turkey with more than 120,000 copies sold, Women who Blow on Knots chronicles a voyage reaching from Tunisia to Lebanon, taken by three young women and septuagenarian Madam Lilla. Although the three young women embark on the road for different reasons - for each holds a dark secret - it is only at the journey's point of no return that Lilla's own murderous motivations for the trip become clear... Unique and controversial in its country of origin for its political rhetoric and strong, atypically Muslim female characters, Temelkuran weaves an empowering tale that challenges us to ponder not only the social questions of politics, religion and women in the Middle East, but also the universal bonds of sister- and motherhood. Ultimately, the novel begs the reader to meditate on the greatest problem women face today - can the power we hold make us happy, and how?

Ece Temelkuran is one of the Turkey's best known novelists and political commentators. She has lived in several countries such as Lebanon and Tunisia to write her novels. Her investigative journalism books broach subjects that are highly controversial in Turkey, such as the Kurdish and Armenian issues and freedom of expression. She was a visiting fellow at the University of Oxford Saint Anthony's College, and has recently given the 'Freedom Lecture' as a guest of Amnesty International and the Prince Claus Foundation. In 2017 she has been a regular guest on Radio 4 and also appeared on the Channel 4 news, while her journalism has recently featured in Der Spiegel, the Guardian and the New York Times. In 2016 Zed Books released a translation of her collection of essays Turkey: The Insane and the Melancholy which was reviewed widely and internationally. She currently lives in Zagreb, Croatia. Her novel Du gu mlere Ufleyen Kadinlar (Women who Blow on Knots) has won the PENTranslates award.